We often wonder why people do the things they do in relationships. Why people make certain decisions. Some judge and say that "so and so is stupid for dealing with such and such." It made me wonder about that. The word that kept resounding was hope. Hope - to wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment. Hope springs eternal and because of it we sometimes make decisions that may seem foolish to others but in our minds..the fulfillment of our expectations makes it worth it. When our expectations aren't met we wonder why and then move on to faith. Faith - belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. What we are typically trusting in is blind faith. We have no proof from our partners that they may ever do what it is we would like them to do, be the person we want them to be or meet our expectations. Hope and faith are powerful human beliefs. However, both can lead to unhealthy patterns. In relationships there is nothing wrong with the hope and faith that things will work out; but if the "proof is in the pudding" that things aren't working out it's time to use that same hope and faith that you can leave the relationship with love, heal your wounds and live your life to its fullest.